Teakup - Miscellanea I

  • House and techno tunes hinged on killer rhythms.
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  • The Pittsburgh label Is / Was compares its latest signing to two other "shut-in beat-freak enthusiasts" from Ohio: Titonton Duvanté and Archetype. Other than their recent resurgent profiles, what these two producers have in common are distinctive approaches to rhythm. The same can be said of the newcomer Teakup, whose debut EP is all about striking, psychoactive grooves, pushing the swing settings to extremes. The housier "I Don't Fkn Kno" is the most chill of the bunch, even if grotty synth drones soon start to gum up its clipped snares and claps. The others are charging peak-time tools, their relentless batteries of percussion setting the stage for trippy soundscapes. The title of "Lose My Mind" is instructive here: this is techno in a state of funky delirium. "Lose My Mind" might be the EP's most effective track, though "Shimmer," in which smoother pads offset the sandpaper drums, is also solid. They're followed by the odd one out. On "Darkcore 2020," Teakup straightens the groove and dips into UK revivalism with rave stabs and a thunderous Amen break. Like most of these tracks, the arrangement starts full and gets fuller. The relentlessness somehow suits the rhythmic mood.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Lose My Mind A2 Shimmer B1 Darkcore 2020 B2 I Don't Fkn Kno
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